Why buy in bulk?
Simple. To reduce the overall cost of buying top quality carp bait. Or to stock up so you never run out. Maybe you wish to establish a new food source this season? Or create a spot to which carp will frequently return to feed, so you can have the confidence that you’ll catch carp which become accustomed to your food when you present your hook bait.
This process of getting the carp acclimatised to a particular food source is called ‘pre-baiting’. Each morning or night, you return to your water and feed – you introduce quality food items into the water – but don’t fish. The ideal time to do this is in the close season; when the new season starts the carp in your water will have eaten thousands of boilies with no danger whatsoever; they’ll be complacent when it comes to feeding and they’ll be easier to catch.
Whatever the date, it’s not too early or late to start your pre-baiting campaign. After a period of time determined by you, after you’ve allowed the carp to feed in safety and observed their habits and behaviour, then it’s time to fish. The carp will continue to feed as normal, only this time one of those boilies has a hook attached and it’s just a matter of waiting. By presenting hook bait you’ll trick the carp and multiple catches will follow, and they’ll keep coming for as long as you continue to feed and not fish, and feed after you fish.
Warning: Keep it SECRET!
An important rule: don’t show anyone else what you’re doing. The last thing you want is to turn up at the bank and find another angler in your spot fishing; reaping the benefits of your hard work and claiming all the winnings of a successful pre-baiting campaign. The best way to avoid this is to pre-bait early in the morning or late at night, but always be prepared to cancel the pre-baiting if there are other people fishing on the lake. You don’t want them to see you doing it, but just as importantly it’s not fair to shovel good food into the lake whilst others are fishing unless they’re a considerable distance from your spot.
How Much Bait Should I Use?
That’s up to you. When you’re pre-baiting, anything from a handful to a couple of kilos will instantly increase your chances of a multiple hit, or for catching the big carp you know are there. It’s also up to you when you should feed. Maybe certain days of the week are more convenient for you, or you can only get to the lake in the evenings. One thing’s for certain; the lakes are packed on weekends and only a dedicated few will fish all night during the week. One option is to pre-bait on the Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and then fish on the Saturday, but many people will continue to feed every day if they can.
Once you have established your bait and started fishing, the carp may become suspicious and your catches may decline. The key is to keep the bait going in the water – most big carp will risk capture if the food is worth it; the reason they grow so big is because they have a huge appetite. Remember, carp are the pigs of the water, but they’re fussy about what the eat, where they eat and when they eat.
A Numbers Game
Measure your spending against your results. If by only feeding one day a week you’re producing the same results as you were when you were feeding every day, then hold back the baiting. There’s no point buying bait unnecessarily. However, if you’re only catching little fish and you know there’s a head of big carp in the water, try using a little more bait to get them in on the action. It’s a numbers game really.
It’s important to pre-bait with other baits as well, and the other baits you use depend on the other fish species and birdlife present. If your spot is shallow enough for a swan to reach down and eat the food, or nuisance fish like bream are eating it, then more bait is going to be needed to feed these off. That’s why particles are a good supplement when pre-baiting; they’ll help clear weed and debris from the area you’re feeding.
Aggressive Feeding
If there are no bream in your lake then pre-bait with Hemp, Pellet & Boilies. If the lake is full of nuisance species then you’re better off not feeding with pellets and opt instead for maples & chick peas. Any pre-baiting activity will keep carp in your area longer and promote more aggressive feeding. There’ll be many occasions when you come to pre-bait and you’ll find carp rolling on the spot. It’s a real treat, and it’s proof that your campaign is working. The only question is, do you grab your rods and start fishing or stay patient and keep pre-baiting? You decide...
Establish a new food source with the Natural Carp Food, found in our Bulk Discounts section.